The Education and Guidelines Committees have today relaunched a survey in partnership with EDUCOM to evaluate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on surgical training.
The survey, which is available to take online for three weeks has been designed as a quick and effective way to gauge the disruption and trainee needs as well as inform future planning around ESCP’s renowned educational initiatives and training opportunities in the post-COVID-19 era.
The global impact of COVID-19 in healthcare systems was unprecedented leading to cancellations of most planned surgical activities. Surgical trainees were redeployed to Intensive Care and Emergency Units supporting urgent and unplanned care on COVID-19 patients.
Scheduled theatre exposure, a crucial part of surgical training, was reduced with elective cases deferred and most clinical trials were postponed. Teaching activities as well as national and international congresses and surgical courses were cancelled, and surgical exams delayed.
Senior trainees have also been unable to finish their training and receive a certificate of completion, resulting in the dilemma of either extending their surgical training or progressing to a consultant role with the uncertainty of whether they are truly ready to progress.
ESCP President, Willem Bemelman, said:
"ESCP takes great pride in the strong commitment of young and passionate surgeons. We champion their work and involvement in our society. During such difficult circumstances, it’s important that we do not lose sight of the importance of training and development and swiftly adapt our plans to ensure we are continually providing valuable learning resources and opportunities to our members throughout Europe and beyond."
Dieter Hahnloser, Chair of ESCP’s Education Committee, is encouraging as many surgeons as possible to share their thoughts and experiences. He added:
"Training and surgical education changed with COVID-19 and will continue to do so. ESCP’s Education and Training Committee would like to understand how your training changed or adapted and how it should look going forward. ESCP is working hard to offer a modern School of Coloproctology with various training opportunities and educational activities for all members across all countries and this feedback will be invaluable."
Take the survey here: https://forms.gle/cfzVP7kr55RXypeB8
Survey design team
Gaetano Gallo MD @gae_gallo
- Researcher, University of Catanzaro (Italy)
- Member of the ESCP Guidelines and Cohort Studies Committee.
- Steering Committee of Italian Society of Colorectal Surgery (SICCR)
- Clinical and academic interest in proctology, functional and pelvic floor disorders, IBD and microbiome and colorectal cancer
- Actively involved in surgical training and social media.
Ines Rubio-Perez MD, PhD @InesRPsurg
- Colorectal surgeon, with a special interest in functional disorders, pelvic floor, cancer and surgical infections. Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid (Spain).
- Member of the ESCP Education Committee and Y-ESCP, and part of the Editorial Advisory Board of Colorectal Disease journal.
- Surgical Infection Society Europe (SIS-E) Council Member and Education Committee Chair
- Actively involved in surgical education and training, innovation and social media.
Triantafyllos Doulias @TDoulias_Surg
MD, MSc, Ph.D, FACS, EBSQ (Coloproctology), FRCS (eng)
- Member of the ESCP Guidelines Committee and reviewer of Colorectal Disease and BJS journals
- Consultant Laparoscopic Colorectal and General Surgeon, Co-Lead of Surgical Education and Research,
Colchester Hospital, East Suffolk and North Essex NHS foundation trust - Co-Lead of Surgical Education and Research
- Special interest in locally advanced rectal cancer, multi-visceral resections, complex perianal fistulae, surgical sepsis
- Actively involved in research and surgical education